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DiScuss: So this 'Glastonbury' thing, eh..?

lukowski by Andrzej Lukowski [Edit this content] ▾ 33 comments 16:57 June 15th, 2009


In celebration of managing to wheedle Glasto review tickets and a photopass for the first time (oh, and also it being one of the biggest musical and cultural events in the British calender), DiS is having a wee Glastonbury week this week, in advance of everybody actually going buggering off next Wednesday. We kick off with a ponder over what the festival is meant to mean to the average indie kid in 2009.

 

Rock lore doesn’t seem to have that much to say about Shakepeare’s Sister’s 1992 headline slot at the Glastonbury festival. Or Ash in 1997. Or Skunk Anansie in 1999. Or Travis in 2000. Or Moby’s in 2003. Funny that.

In fact as far as I can tell there are only two actual, honest to god, definitive, gold-plated, one hundred percent irrefutably, cast-iron examples of headline sets that the BBC’s freakishly non-aging doyenne of all things Glastonbury, Jo Whiley, would smirkingly refer to as ” Glastonbury moments”.

One was when some benevolent deity caused John Squire to break his collarbone prior to the 1995 festival, meaning the crowd were spared the honking awfulness of The Stone Roses, top of the bill honours instead granted to a then unstoppable Pulp; the other was Thom Yorke asking for the lights to be switched on during Radiohead’s 1997 headline slot, thus bestowing the sensation of love on 100,000-odd of his fans, presumably for the first time. If you’re going to be generous, Orbital's 1994 second stage turn still gets an occasional mention, while you could also probably point to Michael Eavis taking a punt on Coldplay in 2002, their stadium chops surprising a field’s worth of people before A Rush Of Blood To The Head sent them stratospheric.

That’s about it, though. Not that it’s not a great festival. Not that any number of individuals won’t have a hundred moments they personally enjoyed more than the aforementioned. But that clutch of instances sort of seems to be what the mainstream media – I’m talking national newspapers and the BBC – have in mind when they attempt to define what they believe Glastonbury should be about, or at least as a musical entity.

 

Video: Pulp: 'Common People' (live at Glastonbury 1995)

 

Or that’s my best guess anyway, those handful of zeitgeisty occurrences seemingly enough to be trundled out as examples of what-Glastonbury-is-all-about year-on-year, commentators happy to ignore the fact that there’s near enough always at least one painfully out of their depth indie band (Skunk Anansie), big-at-the-time chart fodder (Travis, Stereophonics), or somewhat misfiring old-timer (Rod Stewart) in a Pyramid Stage peak slot.

I say this, because the last two years have marked a media trend in scrutinising and criticising the line-up, a reading of the runes and passing judgement that suggests nothing less than a trio of ‘Glastonbury moment’-givers will do. This obviously all stems from last year’s festival, which famously had some problems selling out, though sell out it did.

So here are some facts. The Glastonbury Pyramid stage line-up on Friday last year ran thusly: Kate Nash, The Subways, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., KT Tunstall, The Feeling, The Gossip, Editors, The Fratellis, King Of Leon. A talk about farming from Michael Eavis would have been twice as interesting; Jay-Z’s intro video at least 50 times so. Moreover it was generally accepted that the 2007 festival had not exactly left people hungry for more, with money-in-the-bank turns from Arctic Monkeys and The Killers misfiring due to sound problems, and possibly the most oppressive rain to date. Yet somehow the whole thing descended into a farrago as to whether or not it was appropriate to have Jay-Z headlining. I’ll say again: SKUNK ANANSIE have headlined this thing. And this year, of course, the people who were wondering if Jay-Z slowed sales have been moaning about the age of the headline acts. As if, in any way, Glastonbury has any astonishing track record of putting its finger of the pulse of anything other than middle England. Is the subtext here SERIOUSLY that they've lost hip points because there’s no daring new acts like Coldplay or Kings Of Leon amongst the Neil Young/Bruce Springsteen/Blur triumvirate?

 

Video: Skunk Anansie: ‘We Love Your Apathy’ (live at Glastonbury 1999)

 

When I was a young teenager, the festival – which had hitherto been less synonymous with music than hippies, travellers, drugs and men dressed as fairies sternly informing you ”it’s not about the music” – entered a sort of synchronicity with the Britpop movement. The triple whammy of 1994’s Levellers, Elvis Costello and Peter Gabriel topped event was the last hurrah for the ‘old’ Glastonbury: Blur, Oasis and, of course, Pulp all took starring turns there in the years to come, with Radiohead adding a splash of edge as Britpop faded. And as such there was definitely a feeling growing up back then that Glastonbury was ‘our’ festival, the biggest musical event of the year, at which reputations were cemented and musical legends born. The BBC coverage was nothing like it is now, nor, I do believe, did The Guardian go nearly so ape for proceedings. Reportage was centred on NME and Melody Maker, which is where it seemed to belong, and they were generally of the attitude ‘well it’s nice if the headliner is actually good, but they probably won’t be’ (I dimly recall a Melody Maker that took considerable glee in suggesting REM’s 1999 set would definitely be shit unless they simply played Murmur and Green back to back).

Now... now people like The Telegraph’s Neil McCormick and NME’s Luke Lewis are suggesting Glastonbury may have lost it by dint not having a Coldplay or whatever on the books this year. The argument seems broadly insane – Springsteen, Neil Young and Blur are three headliners of mass appeal and impeccable critical repuation, there’s an infinite amount of other stuff to be getting on with at the same time. Looking at the other Glastonbury-level festivals this year, what do people want? Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Killers, Kings Of Leon, Radiohead; Glastonbury has been there there, done that, and let’s be honest, those band’s ratios of old fans to young is almost certainly not as out of whack with Springsteen as their publicists might like. There are grumbles, but nobody seems to be raising particularly viable alternatives (though McCormick rather laughably seems to point to Bestival’s Kraftwerk and Massive Attack as headliners with more yoof appeal).

It would be tempting to dismiss all this as the blathering of the out of touch, but this is the thing: maybe moaning about it has become the sport of newspaper commentators lurching toward middle age because culturally this IS their festival now.

Obviously for an argument involving a ‘their’ I have to create a rather sweeping ‘us’, but you know, let's for the sake of argument say DiS loosely represents teen to twentysomething indie enjoyers with a strong interest in the music of now. Ten, 15, years ago Glastonbury was unequivocally the festival for that crowd. Now... is it, really? The explosion of European festivals and niche events like ATP has surely stripped away the idea that Glastonbury’s everyman approach could possibly offer most of us our wet dream line up in the way that, say Primavera could. And the festival’s increasing colonisation by the BBC and ‘quality press’ has served as an epic PR job in terms of shifting its image away from being a place full of crusties and skint young people. Instead its figurehead is lovely Jo Whiley, having cups of tea and smiling in benignly patronising manner as the camera occasionally cuts to the token shot of somebody in a silly hat doing something silly while on some drugs. Has Glastonbury moved on, transcended its way to being a festival for the populace as a whole (with a fruity middle-class bias, natch)? It’s been all but said that Emily Eavis’s Park Stage is a sop to the likes of us, a sign that we're an integrated part of the festival, but not the main targets we perhaps once were.

So DiScuss: nobody is disputing Glastonbury’s greatness, nor that pound for pound and given fair weather, it probably out-funs every festival under the sun. But is it ‘our’ festival – as I swear it was last decade – or have things shifted? Older readers – do you feel things have changed? Younger readers – what is your perception of the festival if you weren’t really aware it until this decade. Foreign readers: er, sorry.

Shakespeare's Sister Skunk Anansie Pulp Blur Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Glastonbury...

I went to the festival for the first time in 2007 and had an amazing time. I feel that the vibe from everybody around the place is just so positive and the generosity and atmosphere really puts people in a good mood no matter what the weather is like. However compared to the look of previous festivals the crowds weren't as active particularly compared to Pulp in the video above. Therefore in some ways one could say that a sense of union between the people may have vanished in previous years.

I'm seriously excited about this year though particularly to see The Boss and Blur as the singalongs are going to be epic. Withme being still only 19 I don't remember what the exact vibe was like before in previous years. The first glimpse of the festival I witnessed was Muse in 2004 and made me think that there is the place to be. Hopefully with this years headliners it may put that spark into it again.

danwink | 15 Jun '09, 17:57 | X | Reply

Just the main stage is a bit lame but all the headliners are great.

I'll probably only be there for Blur and Brucey, but beyond that I'll be constantly spoilt for choice. The coverage may be a tad lame now but if you're there you don't see it. It's presented in a nice way for my mum and dad to watch and try and spot me in the crowd and have a chat with me about it when I get home.

HappyHandsClub | 15 Jun '09, 17:57 | X | Reply

That's a great pulp video

cept the violins far too loud in the mix

Chunky_Lover | 15 Jun '09, 18:37 | X | Reply

I went to my first Glastonbury in 1999

and it was the best and worst festival experience in my life, being maimed and robbed was a low, but the random who took pity on me and brought me booze and drugs was a high, so was finding my friends when i was wandering wround drinking vodka from the bottle (in the days before you had to put yr spirits in plastic bottles). REM and Skunk Anansie were Glastonbury momnents for me that year, truly phenomenal. Other Glastonbury moments include watching Amy Winehouse on Jazz World in 2003 (or 2002, i don;t remember) in the pissing rain and her saying "Ah, it's raining, i'll sing this and make the sun come out" and low and behold a rainbow appeared over the stage....

I've been to every Glastonbury that has taken place since and it has changed for better and for worse in plenty of different ways. The reason we all go is because it is so vast and varied. I'm gonna have a day of techno and a day of pop this year, no other festivals offer me that option.

Icedpaul | 15 Jun '09, 20:20 | X | Reply

Never been...

and have very little interest in being in a field with 180,000 middle-aged people trying to relive their youth. I'm not trying to summon up the spirit of britpop or punk out of some misguided notion that I'm still cool. I'm going to End of the Road to see Explosions In The Sky, not because I'm trying to be cool/uncool/anticool/something. I'm going because everyone there will be being honest with themselves, and who can honestly say they are going to Glastonbury for the line-up rather than as a status symbol?

whitelightgenerator | 15 Jun '09, 20:44 | X | Reply

p.s

Good article by the way. My apologies for forgetting to mention that first time.

Status symbol?

I have gone and will continue to go to Glastonbury simply because I like going to that particular festival. It certainly isn't about status. I couldn't give a fiddlers what people think. I like the people, the atmosphere, the choice, the scenery and I love the music. I've never experienced anything like it before and I've yet to get the same experience at another festival, although Electric Picnic comes a very distant second. I like talking about Glastonbury to other people not because I'm like 'oh look at me I'm so cool I go to Glastonbury' I like talking about it simply because I genuinely believe it is a great festival to go to and an excellent experience.

Status symbol my ass........

QM79 | 15 Jun '09, 21:35 | X | Reply

All festivals are shit

and if anyone else goes on to me about "the festival experience" ever again I swear I will smack them.

calumlynn | 15 Jun '09, 22:14 | X | Reply

'Our' Festival...

When I was in my teens (five or six years ago), Reading Festival was 'our' festival. You'd turn up to the campsite and see everyone from the common room at sixth form. The lineup would be made up of everyone that was in the music press at the time. Consequently, and inevitably, you'd grow out of Reading rather quickly as your musical horizons broadened/you left school...

Glastonbury, on the other hand, I've never thought of as belonging to a certain age or genre... To me its always been more of a vast, sprawling, shapeless blob which you can press and mould into whatever shape you choose... I rather like the fact that my parents can go and have a completely different experience to me in roughly the same field

KevinEGPerry | 15 Jun '09, 23:09 | X | Reply

There... is... more... than... one... stage... at... Glastonbury... and... more... to... do... than... just... watch... bands

...and breathe.

But regarding the music, look at the line-up on the other stages last year... this year... any year.

Snobbery gets no place at Glastonbury. Put Crosby, Stills and Nash on at Reading and watch the bottles fly. And... yeah... maybe they don't "belong" there. But the point is at Glastonbury there's tons of the "new" stuff. But most people - shock - like a variety of stuff, and some of it not by whatever came out that year. And Glastonbury's one of the few festivals where you can see the new and the old. Or if you're not bothered, just the new, or just the old.

The UK's pretty unique in staging "single genre" festivals - and Glastonbury's one of the very few that breaks that rule. The fault is that of the festival goers as much as it is the organisers. We get what we ask for.

Damian | 15 Jun '09, 23:33 | X | Reply

A foreign reader's perspective

Is it ‘our’ festival – well these days over 150,000 tickets get sold, can an event of that scale really be anyone’s festival to the exclusion of others? Anyway, I’m a foreigner (Australian) and lived in the UK for 5 years from 2000 to 2005. In that time I went to Glastonbury 3 times (2000, 2003 & 2004). For me, even though I’ve seen some great bands at Glastonbury I feel that I could have seen zero bands at any of the 3 festivals and still had the best time of my life, and there is no other festival that you can say that about. I mean, to walk from the fence at the greenfields, through the valley and then up to the fence on the other side of the pyramid stage takes over an hour with no crowds and not stopping to look at anything. That same walk if you stopped to look at everything that’s happening would take up the entire 5 days of the festival, there is that much to see and do. For me the best way to approach Glastonbury is to pick 2 bands you want to see each day and spend the rest of the time kicking back in the greenfields. Favourite Glastonbury musical moment was in 2000 seeing Elliot Smith in what was then the New Band Tent, then Nine Inch Nails on the Other Stage. Beauty followed by brutality, and demonstrates the breadth of experience available at Glastonbury if you take your focus away from the Pyramid Stage headliners (though this years choices of Young, Springsteen and Blur are nothing short of fantastic).

rendit | 16 Jun '09, 00:10 | X | Reply

we go through this every year:

its a fair criticism that coldplay et al arent 'edgy' either - but fuck, Springsteen, Neil Young and Blur are still hella popular on these forums, let alone amongst 'hipper' crowds- both have enjoyed a resurgence with recent groups aping their style. And as someone pointed out earlier- theres more than two stages. Last year on non-main stages I saw stars, spiritualized, caribou and the national- MGMT (twice!), British Sea Power, Battles, Holy Fuck, Foals. Put these as headliners on any other festival and this site would be jizzing praise and hype till the cows come home. I've always been a supporter of the festival-its provided probably my favourite experiences music wise and generally out of any festival, short of Venn (which was probably the best festival in the country at its peak before its sudden demise, and so totally different an event to be almost irrelevant to this debate). I agree the price is a bit steep and cutting back on the main stage headliners budget (and a return of some crustiness) would probably make the whole thing more palatable. But come on, I cant believe were having this argument AGAIN this year.

Alex_b | 16 Jun '09, 07:42 | X | Reply

also best organizers decision last year:

the terry riley tribute at friday lunchtime: genius.

Alex_b @Alex_b | 16 Jun '09, 07:44 | X | Reply

absolute balls

you didnt mention - david bowie 2000; sir paul 2004; bjork and arcade fire 2007 - which were all big names (critically and in a popular sense) successes (as far as i can remember).

yes the lineup can be more than a bit wack on the main stages, but as you've just highlighted it regularly was/is. the only difference is that glastonbury is now part of mainstream culture due to the BBC's strangling, smug and aspirational coverage. therefore 'edgy' types feel uncomfortable jumping on the bandwagon of the glasto love-in and construct trite arguments such as this to highlight their reservations. the best way to avoid jo whiley et al is to go to the bloody festival.

what you should have written minus all the pap above is, should emily eavis hand over the running of the park stage to atp? yes she should, that would make the best festival i've ever been to even better. but to try and argue that in the old days the festival had mbv et al playing instead of the levellers et al is misleading.

NEW_EARS | 16 Jun '09, 09:28 | X | Reply

There are some amazing bands playing

Park stage, Dance stages, John Peel Stage, Other stage. Also, all the extra effort that goes into the festival. I remember coming across some four poster beds last year and laying on them with my friends before the sun came up, I was 19 then, not really reliving my youth but experiencing it. I enjoyed smaller, and perhaps 'cooler', festivals as well last year. All have something different to offer. If you went to Glastonbury you'd quickly find out that if you steer clear from the pyramid stage you wont find many middle aged people running around.

HappyHandsClub @whitelightgenerator | 16 Jun '09, 10:14 | X | Reply

seriosuly mate,

if you hate it that much why are you going?

meths | 16 Jun '09, 11:16 | X | Reply

I've only been once, in 2007, one of the recent monsoons

And it's safe to say I had probably the best festival experience of my life despite the rain & mud. Bands wise there was some good stuff on the main stages (Arcade Fire followed by Bjork has to be the best double header ever) but as ever there was as much amazing stuff on all the other stages - !!!, The Broken Family Band, Bat for Lashes, Squarepusher, Adem, Gruff Rhys all spring to mind, but there was loads more.

And I echo the sentiments expressed above that I could quite happily have not watched a single band and still had an incredible time. I don't think it's accurate to call it any particular group's festival simply because for as long as it's existed it's always attracted a hugely diverse crowd. The fence and BBC-ification are more symptoms of current festival mania and the fetishisation of 'festival chic' than some kind of deep rooted problem with Glasto itself, as far as I can see.

I'd love to go again but I refuse to pay as much as it would have cost this year. Definitely when I've got more money.

dis-integration | 16 Jun '09, 11:34 | X | Reply

I saw Skunk Anansie in 99...

I remember thinking 'What the fuck are they doing headlining?' as well. Turns out they were the best thing I saw all weekend and I wasn't even a fan. Don't know if that says more about all the rest that was on but I had a thorughly fuckin brilliant time.

That was the only time I've been but I'm going back next week and I cannae wait. The main problem this time looks to be all the clashes - Neil Young/ Ray Davies/ Animal Collective; The Boss/Jarvis; The Specials / The Horrors to name a few. Still not a bad problem to have.

And frickin Spinal Tap are playing!

unleashthetigers | 16 Jun '09, 12:49 | X | Reply

Hanging on to my youth

I do wonder if maybe I should grow up and stop enjoying Glastonbury. Y'know, just give in and move to Chessington to raise some rugrats. Leave Glastonbury to the kids. I wonder about this for maybe 15 seconds before concluding, "Nah! F#ck em. I'm going"

So when people complain about "middle aged people trying to re-live their youth" they are either (1) middle aged and jealous, (2) middle aged and deluded that they possess some sort of dignity or (3) young and deluded that they will never get old. I have most sympathy for type 3. Bless 'em.

JohnnyAngel | 16 Jun '09, 13:45 | X | Reply

I love Glastonbury

But I was annoyed with Eavis and his 'older people are ruining the vibe' jibe. But I have still never been to a better festival than Glasto 2004.

http://asheq.co.uk/2009/02/23/why-i-wont-be-attending-glastonbury-2009

greenstone | 16 Jun '09, 14:12 | X | Reply

Glastonbury is pretty much so

big and spawling that I don't think it "belongs" to any type of group at all.
Like someone else said, it's great that all different kinds of people make their way to a big field in the middle of nowhere and have a million different experiences. You can see nothing but trendy, of-the-moment bands, you can have a big bender and not remember who you saw, you can see the middle class pleasing bands or you can go to weird dance tents all the time. You can probably do something like take a workshop on how to make tents out of hemp and have the best time of your life...
Basically, in my opinion, other festivals may have a particular market or "belong" to a certain group of people, but Glastonbury belongs to nobody in particular and yet everyone at the same time and that is what makes is so great.

G-town | 16 Jun '09, 15:22 | X | Reply

in my nineteenth year, I've decided that debating Glastonbury is totally pointless.

I'd put money on the fact that 'misfiring old-timer' Rod Stewart was better than Pulp but then again who cares?

One thing I will say is that 'Glastonbury moments' don't tend to be so much with the bands and the gigs that I watch, but the things that happen to me and my mates when we're there. Bands play everywhere. Watching some boring indie band play their best song might be brilliant but it's not exclusive to Glastonbury.

wrightylew | 16 Jun '09, 22:56 | X | Reply

Really good piece mate nice one.

As for glastonbury, ive only ever been once in 2007 and it pissed down all weekend, my mate had a broken collar bone but braved it anyway, and it was fucking great. Theres something for everyone, i think a good tip if you are going is to maybe see one or two headliners but to spend at least one night wandering around checking out little tents and stages. That is where all the magic happens.

As the weather forecast for this year, and The Boss is playing Saturday night, i cant wait! One week to go, this time next week i should be sipping that first can of strongbow. Whos there?

shakerwors | 17 Jun '09, 12:01 | X | Reply

You make some good points certainly vis a vis the line up

On efestivals I read people saying "There should eb a headliner for the youngsters" - what so you'd turn down one of Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen for Snow atrol. Sod that. If the youngsters don't like either of those two acts they're fucking tasteless.

I go to Glastonbury because it's an incredible place and you know there'll be bands on to watch. To the guy who said who can say they are going for the line up - errrr no one, since it's announced after the tickets sell out!

But since you mention it, Shakey, The Boss, Blur? Yes, I am going for the music. And it's going to be fucking awesome

LordLuciusBanter | 17 Jun '09, 14:04 | X | Reply

True dat

My 'Glastonbury moment' was finding out about mooncups in the Green Fields, and it being turned into an insult for the rest of the weekend

"Oh you fucing mooncup"

LordLuciusBanter @wrightylew | 17 Jun '09, 14:07 | X | Reply

What other festival gives you...

Steel Pulse, Q-Tip, Nick Cave, F***ed Up, Blur, the Prodigy, Specials, Art Brut and Dizzee Rascal? Basically every good genre of music represented- plus Rolf Harris!

CallHimRita | 17 Jun '09, 18:21 | X | Reply

I'd like to point out

that Travis in 2000 were fucking brilliant.

Also, i have a theory that Glastonbury is brilliant every other festival. I started going in 2000, so...

2000 - Pet Shop Boys, Travis, David Bowie - Brilliant
2002 - Stereophonics, Rod Stewart - SHIT
2003 - REM, Radiohead, Flaming Lips - Brilliant
2004 - Oasis, Muse, rain - SHIT
2005 - Coldplay, Brian Wilson, fucking MONSOON but loads of sun after - Brilliant
2007 - Rain rain rain and no good bands (my highlight was Billy fucking Bragg) - SHIT
2008 - Jay-Z, Jay-Z, Jay-Z - Brilliant

Which means that this year is going to be shit. I hope it isn't though.

badcustard | 18 Jun '09, 20:01 | X | Reply

1994 - the last great year

Why did no one mention Rage Against The Machine, (who played after Levellers and Spin Doctors.. aaah!... and the lead singer of Spin Doctors got LAMPED by a dude from the crowd!! Ha ha!) Don't make 'em like they used to ... there were also raves happening 24/7 from wednesday to wednesday - NO CURFEW, NO SOUND LIMITS - as they were still legal then, not to mention the many extras that made Orbital absolutely kick ass, after the freakiness of Bjork who was on before in a pink tutu. And you could get in free. And you could bring dogs-on-strings. AND you had scallies everywhere selling everything. oh you poor kids of today... deprived... consumed... sold out to the corporations. Find a time machine if you ever want to go to a real Glastonbury.

Wombat | 24 Jun '09, 16:24 | X | Reply

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